ArcaMax

Dear Annie: Both my adult daughter and her husband are employed. Since they do not cook, when my husband and I visit them, which is approximately four times a year, they send out for food and ask us to pay our share of the bill, or, on occasion, she will use my credit card to pay for the whole bill. When we go out to eat at a restaurant, I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a single mother to my one daughter, who is now 29. She moved from our hometown because that's where she met her husband, and she now has a son, my grandson, who is 1 1/2 years old. She asked me when she first got pregnant if I would move down to where they live to babysit Monday through Friday for them. Long story short, I did ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I plus our four children currently reside in a first floor apartment. I love this because I don't have to tell the kids to tiptoe everywhere so as not to disturb the downstairs neighbors. However, our upstairs college neighbors are extremely heavy-footed and always sound like they are on an expedition. We have only ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been best friends for over 50 years now with a girl I was neighbors with growing up. When I was about 12, I remember coming home from her house upset over the way her dad had treated her. He was always very cold and abrupt, and he treated her as less than he did her older sister.

I confided in my parents about this, and they ...Read more

Dear Annie: My son is in a relationship with a young woman who had three children prior to meeting. They have had two additional children 11 months apart. "Jordan," his girlfriend, grew up in foster care. She went through some rough stuff. When she became pregnant with my son's first child, I vowed that I would treat her children like they ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been dating a wonderful man for three years. He's everything I could want in a partner, and I'm very happy with him. He came out of a long-term marriage that ended in divorce, while I lost my spouse to cancer shortly before we met. For the first year, we kept things casual, but we've been serious about a long-term relationship...Read more

Dear Annie: I live with bipolar disorder, which I was first diagnosed with in the early 1990s. My husband and I got together after my diagnosis, and he has been my biggest support through everything -- navigating different providers, raising my children (not his) who also had their challenges and helping me stay stable.

There have been tough ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have struggled with several chronic health issues for over a decade, which often leave me fatigued, in pain or struggling with my memory. Yet because of my age (early 20s), I often get laughed off or dismissed if I bring these up.

It doesn't come from my family, friends or close co-workers, thankfully. They are all compassionate...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been a big fan of your column for years, but I felt that some useful context was missing from a recent response about how to deal with people knocking on doors.

Having worked extensively in political outreach, I understand how frustrating unsolicited visits can be. However, canvassing for elections or other causes is hard ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been with my spouse for nine years. Lately, I feel he's so distant, and I can't help but be bothered by it. About a year ago, everything changed. He started hiding his phone, being secretive with his friends, had multiple social media accounts, etc.

I've had a gut feeling for a while, and when I talked to him about it, he ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife of 19 years still to this day keeps in contact with her ex-boyfriend from high school.

They dated all through high school, and after they broke up, he ran her through the mud by spreading rumors about her to all her friends and then wrote a long letter to her stating how she was a slut.

Fast-forward many years, when we ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 17-year-old girl, and I will be turning 18 next month. I'm a senior in high school, and my grades are excellent! I've applied to all of my colleges, and now I'm waiting for the decisions, which I will find out very soon. I live in Arizona, and the schools are in New York, D.C. and North Carolina (with my first choice being in...Read more

Dear Readers: So many of you wrote about the widow columns that I printed recently, and made some interesting points, so I wanted to share a few of these letters with everyone.

Dear Annie: Oh, wow! I just saw this in our paper and pointed it out to my wife. She didn't believe it at first, and I was just as surprised. Widows being shunned by ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 14 years. He is 9 years younger than I am, and when we got married, we each brought three children into our blended family. For the past two years, I was the primary caregiver for my mother after she had a stroke. Even before that, I spent a significant amount of my time caring for my elderly ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a very toxic and narcissistic sister-in-law. Despite years of unpleasant family problems caused by her, my husband and his brother (her siblings) feel obligated to stay in contact with her. Now that their parents have passed away, I had hoped we could reduce this contact even further.

The issue has become more pressing as ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been in a 14-year relationship with a man who never proposed. Early on, it didn't bother me much; we were both divorced with kids, and I'd just ended a 13-year marriage. But over time, his vague promises of "someday" have worn thin. He's lived with me for 11 years, helps with some handiwork around the house and contributes to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was a high school teacher in an urban area and just retired after a grueling 37-year career under very difficult circumstances. I've been married for 30-plus years and am the father of two daughters who are now in their late 20s.

I've been a good father, husband and provider for my family throughout my life. My relationship with...Read more

Dear Annie: Last week, my good friend "Jess" called me at 6 a.m. to ask if I could drive her to an appointment that same morning, even though I had to be at work by 8. This kind of last-minute favor is becoming a pattern. I've been tempted to say no, but she will always guilt me with something like, "You're the only one I can count on!"

I ...Read more

Dear Readers: I want to wish you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving! This holiday gives me the perfect reason to express how grateful I am for all of you. Your thoughtful questions and comments have taught me so much about life and continue to inspire me every day. Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey.

Practicing ...Read more